Now You Know: Skinny on Parking Changes Effective June 1

You may remember the Ridgewood Village Council to businesses and shoppers alike, and that policy will be in effect on June 1.

While the business community cautioned it could lead to problems and the council has said it's not a perfect plan, the village says it's the right step forward and should help make parking less of a headache. So here's what it means to you:

*Street meter parking (which includes the Broad Street Annex) will remain enforced from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. at 50 cents an hour and the 15-minute parking spaces are 20 cents per hour. Not much in the way of changes here, as the meters are still enforced in 2, 3, and 12-hour time limits. As always, meters are free on Sundays and federal holidays but you will get ticketed on Saturday (what else is new?).

*The village asks all to remember that repeat parking and feeding the meter is a no-go; you'll likely get a ticket if that's seen.

*Here's the big change coming to Ridgewood on the first day of June: If you pick up a UP3 permit and drop $650 one time, you can park in any lot (not the street) from 6 a.m. to 2 a.m. without dropping quarters in the meter. The permit is issued on a calendar-year basis and is pro-rated. So from now until the end of the year, you'd be paying about $380 'til the end of December.

*To obtain permits, applicants are required to complete the appropriate application with vehicle registration, insurance card with current Ridgewood address, and a driver's license. There's a limit of three vehicles per placard, and a $100 replacement fee.

*Placards for the unlimited pre-pair parking should be hung facing outwards on the windsheild. They can rest on the rearview mirror support but uh, don't drive with it on (hello danger!).

*Hudson, Cottage, Prospect, Franklin Avenue, North Walnut and the Train Station are all on 12-hour enforcement times, 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. The train station will take $1 coins and requires a commuter parking permit from Village Hall. So remember UP3eople, you'll need BOTH an unlimited parking pass and a resident pass to park at the train station.

*Parking will also be 50 cents an hour at the Park & Ride from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. No permit needed.

*The Broad Street Annex, however, is on a two-hour basis and is 50 cents an hour (it's not a parking lot, remember?). Violation fees run from anywhere between $19 and $500 and jail time.

*You can't park in the lots from 2 a.m. to 6 a.m.